


Blood Bond

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic 2020 [73]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Bullying, Child Death, First Meetings, Friendship, Intimidation, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Original Character Death(s), Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:53:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26471464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: LJ Comment Fic for Tales From the Darkside prompt:Stargate Atlantis, John Sheppard/Rodney McKay,Let the Right One Infusion (feel free to age them)In which John and Rodney meet as teenagers and form a friendship that includes a bit more death and blood-letting than average.
Relationships: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Series: Bite Sized Fic 2020 [73]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1610332
Comments: 12
Kudos: 47
Collections: Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2020





	Blood Bond

**Toronto, 1980s**

_Superman is the best_ , said the voice on Rodney’s walkie-talkie.

Rodney scowled at his bedroom wall, knowing that John was on the other side of it.

“It’s sad how wrong you are,” he replied. He didn’t let up on the talk button because John didn’t deserve a chance to make his case. “Batman is obviously the best superhero. He doesn’t have any superpowers, just his intelligence and a knack for building weapons.”

_He’s a billionaire playboy playing vigilante. Which is stupid._

“You’re stupid.”

_Real mature, Rodney._

John had a lot of flaws, there was no question about that, but he was also the only friend Rodney had. The kids at his school picked on him mercilessly, because he was smarter than everyone else – including the teachers – and couldn’t help but correct someone when they were being stupidly wrong. Plus, he wasn’t particularly athletic and that counted for a lot in his school.

John, who had moved into the apartment next door, liked Rodney. For reasons which continued to remain elusive. He was a year younger than Rodney but didn’t go to school. In fact, Rodney had never seen John outside during the daytime. 

Rodney had his suspicions. He was a genius, after all, and an avid consumer of comic books. He’d read his fair share of Blade and Tomb of Dracula comics. 

_You going to bed?_

“I guess. See you tomorrow?”

_I’ll be here. Rogue One, signing off._

“Rogue Leader, signing off.”

Rodney put the walkie talkie on his nightstand and turned off the light. He wondered what John did all night, with no-one else to talk to. Was he out stalking the streets? Playing Atari? Plotting world domination?

He fell asleep imagining John in a long cape, his cowlicks all slicked back and shiny.

As usual, Rodney had to get himself to school the next morning. His dad was unreliable, though he’d left some money on the kitchen counter so Rodney could get lunch. The money got tucked away inside his sock, to try and save it from the bullies.

School was stupid, like it always was. Rodney did the classwork in record time, then decamped to the library to study the college-level textbooks they kept in there. It should’ve been a safe haven from Marshall Ells and his cronies, but no such place existed at school.

“Hey, nerd.”

Marshall pulled out the chair next to Rodney, flipped it around, and plopped down in it with his arms crossed over the back. His brother Dillon did the same on the other side, boxing Rodney in. Rodney kept his gaze firmly fixed on the physics textbook and tried to pretend they weren’t there.

“You got one last chance to save your life, McJerk,” Marshall said, leaning close enough that Rodney could smell his sour breath. “You’re gonna do my whole Chemistry workbook so I don’t flunk out.”

Marshall flunking out of school was the best-case scenario as far as Rodney was concerned.

“You listening, pussy?” Dillon asked, poking Rodney in the shoulder.

Rodney’s heart was pounding so hard he was a little dizzy. But no way was he giving in to the Ells brothers. If he did, he’d be just as useless and beaten as his own father, who’d let his wife walk all over him and then leave with Rodney’s sister in tow.

“Fuck off,” Rodney muttered.

“You little –” Dillon started to snarl, but Marshall cut him off with a look.

“I was kinda hoping you’d say that, fuck face. I’ve been dying to wring your scrawny neck. See you later.”

Rodney pulled his shoulders up reflexively, but the Ells brothers left, overturning one chair and ripping a few pages from the textbook on their way out. Rodney sat there for a few minutes catching his breath. 

_See you later._

He was a dead man. No two ways about it. It would be pointless to seek adult help with the situation, since most of the teachers hated him. Besides, even the so-called adults were intimidated by the Ells brothers, and figured it was easier to just let them run wild than try to control them.

By the end of the school day everyone was talking about Rodney’s imminent demise, whispering and snickering, some sending him pitying looks. No-one offered to help, but then he hadn’t expected them to. It was easy to keep from being disappointed when your expectations were so low.

Rodney hid out at school as long as he could, lurking in the music room until everyone had cleared out and only the janitors were left. As an extra precaution, he went out the side door, the one that led to the athletic fields, instead of the front or back.

Outside a storm was kicking up, the sky dark and swollen with rain that could fall at any moment. Thunder rumbled, the wind whipped, and something hit Rodney hard in the back of the head, driving him to his knees.

“Did you really think you could wait us out, McFuck?” Marshall asked, his voice barely audible over the ringing in Rodney’s ears.

He gave Rodney a shove that sent him sprawling and scraped a good amount of skin off the palms of his hands. Rodney curled up in a ball, his only protection. If he’d been clear-headed maybe he could’ve done something a bit more defensive, but his head was spinning. What the hell had Marshall hit him with?

“Bet that Chemistry is lookin’ real good by now,” Marshall said. 

Two pairs of hands pulled Rodney back on his feet, and he saw that Dillon had him on one side and Marshall’s crony Chad had the other.

“Any last words, asshole?” Dillon asked.

“None of you is going to amount to anything,” Rodney said. “Because you’re all stupid as fuck.”

That was badass for two whole seconds, and then Marshall drove a fist into Rodney’s stomach, and he doubled over and couldn’t catch his breath and oh, shit, he really was in trouble.

Someone pulled his hair, someone punched him in the kidney, and Rodney was certain he was going to die at that godforsaken school.

Then suddenly no-one was holding on to him anymore and he collapsed in a heap, tears streaming down his face as he gasped for air, chest burning. The other boys were screaming, and at first Rodney thought they were yelling at him. They weren’t.

John appeared out of nowhere like some kind of avenging angel, his face a mask of rage. He flung the other three boys around like it was nothing. Dillon’s arm was broken, Rodney could see the bone sticking out of his skin, and Marshall’s screams were so high-pitched he sounded like a girl. They were shown no mercy. 

By the time the rain started, John was standing over Rodney, a more placid expression on his face and blood staining the sides of his mouth. Marshall, Dillon, and Chad lay scattered like broken dolls, blood pooling on the asphalt and thinning out from the rain.

“I won’t hurt you,” John said.

“I know,” Rodney replied.

He let John help him up, and then they stood there staring at each other for a long moment. Rodney had been right. John was a vampire, even though he looked like any other kid. And he’d rescued Rodney from what would have been a severe beating at the least, and death at the worst.

“Thanks, Rogue One,” Rodney said.

A look of surprise crossed John’s face, and then he grinned. “You’re welcome, Rogue Leader.”

Things changed for Rodney after that. He had more confidence in himself, knowing that he could deal death or dismemberment to anyone who treated him badly. John taught him some self-defense moves and started him on some weight training. They spent even more time together than they had before.

No-one ever found the person that murdered the Ells brothers and Chad Gorsky at school that day. Vital evidence had probably been washed away by the storm. But the kids at school, who’d known that Marshall had it in for Rodney, had their suspicions. And they gave Rodney a wide berth.

That summer, under a dark sky full of stars, John and Rodney took a blood brother oath. John licked the blood from Rodney’s palm, which should’ve been gross but wasn’t, and Rodney knew the world was his for the taking. His and John’s, forever.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** So, I've never seen this movie. But I followed the link in the prompt and read the plot, and knew I had to write it. It's so dark and delicious. I think we all know who'll be plotting world domination now. ::grins::


End file.
